INTEVIEW for Magazines - Himachal - my haven !

BY Anu Sehg of PARTNERS Chandigarh for Photographer and his best pictures for Article in Unforgettabe Himachal MONAL Official Newsletter/Magazine of HPTDChttp://hptdc.nic.in/HP Tourism Development Corporation Ltd., Ritz Annexe, The Ridge Shimla-171001 http://himachaltourism.gov.in/

Himachal - my haven !

It was indeed a delightful and unforgettable experience meeting someone who feels that the world is his Studio, someone who lives with a vision of using photography as a means to connect with his inner self , someone who has travelled across borders around the world to capture those magical moments. The joy doubles when among his wide range of collections, incredible landscape pictures of Himachal stand out. And a sense of limitless happiness abound with the knowledge that he is a product of this great land of the gods..."Dev Bhumi". I am talking of none other than Sundeep Bhardwaj from Kullu – a photographer who has travelled to 200 major destinations in 50 countries across 6 continents in Europe (East & West Europe), Africa (Eastern Africa, Middle Africa, Northern Africa, Southern Africa & Western Africa), Asia (Eastern Asia, Northern Asia, Southeastern Asia, Southern Asia, Western Asia, Indian Sub-Continent & The Middle East), North America, South America & Australia.He still feels the beauty of Himachal Pradesh surpasses that of any other place in the whole wide world!

An exclusive Interview with the photographer himself –

“Painting has always been my inclination amidst the greenery that surrounds my childhood. Growing up , I was introduced to a world of professional business administration wherein i worked for five star Airlines, MNC Banking ,Hotels and Resorts. After my Masters in Sales and Marketing, i was trying to give my best in all those situations which involve challenge, decision making and value addition for the organization. And suddenly I set out for a world tour and realized at that point that Photography alone of arts seems perfected to serve the desire I have for the moment . My father, a National awardee in the field of education and social service has always encouraged me to develop my artistic skill, not to forget the artistic genes I inherited from my mother which helped me become a distinguished lens man I am today.But whatever beauty I have seen in my life as a photographer; I would still say that Himachal has the best of everything when it comes to natural grandeur. No other place in the whole world can stand so magnificently as India’s Himalayas.”

Did he always dream of becoming a professional photographer?

“Honestly No! Its difficult to take Art as a profession in India where ,right from childhood, people are encouraged to follow careers with more financial prospective. I did my MBA in Sales and Marketing, Graduation in Public Administration from H.P.University, Shimla and also did Bachelors in Hotel Management from GCC, Bangalore. I worked in some of the best organizations ranging from 5-star hotel chains like The Oberoi's to 5-star international airlines operations in Qatar Airways to banks like American Express. Professional photography was not there, until i left India 5 years before.Following the career path set for me, I realised something was missing in me. I had to do something to enhance the god gifted natural grandeur of Himachal. This, I could do through one medium, a medium I was passionate and good at, Photography. The world has to know what lies beyond those hills and the locals need to know what they can do to preserve that treasure.

Today I am associated as a founder entrepreneur with Himachal Cultural Village – an eco-friendly project, preserving the ethnic culture of the Himalayas in India. The artist in me is insatiable. I am in a constant crave to capture the unexplored..I have travelled far and wide across the globe...from Brazil to Australia, from the UK to South Africa, from Egypt to Malaysia,from Morocco to Thailand, from Switzerland to Vietnam, the list goes on and on...I can write one of the longest travelogue with this treasure of photographs that I possess. But even today, it’s the Kullu valley – the Valley of Gods that never fails to mesmerize me.”

What according to him is most photogenic about Himachal?

Himachal has everything one can imagine – blessed with richest legacy of Nature – Himachal attracts me with its virgin destinations, untouched vistas, flowing violent rivers and calm waterfalls, high snow clad peaks, snowfall or misty rainfalls, caressing breezes…you name something and it is here! Mountains, being the most impressive and beautiful element of nature, have allways fascinated me & i travelled extensively to such exotic heights. The bonding i have with the Himachal is inexplicable & trekking expeditions make it more exciting..It is the best place a photographer can dream to be at. Places like Chandar Taal and Suraj Taal in the Spiti Valley are beyond every artists' imagination.”

So Spiti Valley is his all-time favourite ‘Nature Photography’ Destination?

" I am lucky that I have managed to extensively cover the Himalayan Landscape of Kullu, Manali, Lahaul, Spiti, Leh, Laddakh, Shimla, Dharamshala, Mandi, and Kinnaur. The trip to Chandar Taal, I took four years ago, has been the most memorable. The weather, on that day. was particularly unkind and rough. I did not know if I could make it to the lake. But the thought of Chander Taal ,the place I always long to be, kept me going on. I braved the unforgiving weather and finally made it to where my heart belongs, in the abode of nature. I managed to lose myself in that ecstasy for an hour or so. I took the best clicks I've ever taken in my life. The rendezvous was cut short by one worst enemy, the weather. But the moment has been inscribed in my mind, in my thought and in the array of photographs I have, Every nature-lover should visit this place,at least once in their lifetime. It is undoubtedly, the heaven on earth. And yes, my favourite spot too!”

And how has Himachali way of life influenced his personality?

“When people say that Himachali people are simple; what they actually mean is that people here are not selfish or greedy. They have not been touched by that modern plague affecting humanity. We Himachalis appreciate goodness and beauty. We are hospitable, artistic and love Nature from the core of our hearts. I am a proud Himachali and will remain one as long as I live. I often listen to Mohit Chauhan’s song "Morni ". I was born in Sundernagar, another beautiful town in the foothills of Himalayas in 'Unforgettable Himachal'. My Himachali upbringing is the driving factor of the kind of person that I am today. The artistic, adventurous, down to earth, optimistic, sensitive and humanistic sides of my personality are the reflection of where I come from, my Himachal.

I believe "World is just amazing" and every place & face has a unique story to tell. I connect to my subjects as to my soul.The journey is still on...

Yes, he is a fantastic person and very positive too. He is a perfect example of a modern, enterprising man still rooted to his culture. His every picture highlights the true beauty of Himachal and his state is equally proud of him. Unforgettable Himachal and Monal wishes Sundeep Bhardwaj good wishes for his world tour. May he continue to enthrall the whole world with unforgettable Himachal shots!

"Photography, alone of the arts, seems perfected to serve the desire humans have for a moment - this very moment - to stay"....Sam. I am a Professional Photographer and I don’t limit myself to a particular genre or field in photography. The range includes Landscapes, People, Portraits, Fashion, Panaroma, Events, Travel, Advertising, Editorials, Hotels, Resorts, Famous People & Celebrities, Football, Cricket & Other Sports etc. I love working on Social Campaigns, Coffee Table Photobooks, Greeting Cards, Calendars, Magazines & News Dailies. 2011 is my 5th year of travel around 6 continents. I hail from Kullu (a tourist town known as 'Switzerland of India' in Himachal Pradesh) & born in Sundernagar (Mandi, HP) which is a beautiful town in proximity of Kullu Valley on the foothills of Himalayas. I have exclusively covered photostories of Himalayas in India, Nepal, China, Bhutan & Tibet along with landscapes in more than 50 countries. My works focus mainly on Himalayas, New 7 Wonders of World, The UNESCO World Heritage Sites, People, Portraits, Landscapes, Places & Culture of countries around the World. Born in Himachal i have extensively covered Landscapes in Himachal Pradesh (All 12 districts) ranging from main towns to suburbs and other unexplored places. Mountains, being the most impressive and beautiful element of nature, have allways fascinated me & i travelled extensively to such exotic heights. The bonding i have with the Himalayas is inexplicable & trekking expeditions make it more exciting. MyPhotostories in Flickr Photostream cover braodly all the topics mentioned in this website along with Photostories emphasising Culture & Living of people in Kullu Valley, Kinnaur, Lahaul & Spiti, Leh & Ladakh, Shimla, Dharamshala & other major tourist destinations of Himachal Pradesh and its vicinity. Himachal has bagged many 'Outlook Travellers Awards' year after year as ‘Favourite Adventure Destination’, 'Favourite Hill Destination - Manali (Kullu)' & 'Favourite Summer Destination'. These are national level awards as per independent survey conducted by Nielson for Outlook Traveller Magazine.

I have varied experience ranging from 5-star International Airlines ,
MNC Hotel Chains and Banking (American Express AESCI-Gurgaon,India). I
hold 3 degrees MBA in Sales & Marketing (Symbiosis,Pune),
B.Pub.Admn.(H.P.University,Summer Hills, Shimla) & BHM
(GCC-Bangalore). After completing my World tour my aim is to contibute to Social Causes like maintaining the clean environment of HP in an eco-friendly manner. This involves bringing people from all walks of life, specially the young generation. Himachal sees 1.5 crore/ 15 million ( 1,50,00,000 ) tourists every season which adds up to the high volume of pollution to this state. Himachal Cultural Village (HCV Kullu), a private NGO project's main prpose is to curb this pollution problem.

I have done some professional assignments for famous magazines, news
dailies, hotels, resorts & travel houses in the past & intend do more in the near future. Currently, i am not doing any assignments as i am on a World Tour exploring new countries. Soon will publish more of my Travel Stories on my official website http://sundeepkullu.com. If you would like to comment you can go to different pages/sections of
SDBWP® on the top of this website and comment after signing-in to
flickr.com with yahoo account or by directly going to my flickr
photostream ( link http://www.flickr.com/photos/wittysam) where i stock
my World tour pictures. To protect my work i load pictures only on this
flash website and on flickr and they are in web compatible resolutions
only. Original pictures shot in 5,616 × 3,744 (21.1 megapixels) using
Canon EOS 5D Mark II Full Frame DSLR Camera or 3872 x 2592 (10.2 million
effective pixels) using Nikon D60 DSLR or 4,288 × 2,848 (12.3 effective
megapixels) using Nikon D90 DSLR.***Do not forget to "Connect" (Click Connect in Lower Toolbar) or
"Sign-in to SDBWP"(Click on tab on top of each page of website) if you
like my Photostories.This
is the official website of SunDeep Bhardwaj (SDBWP ) SunDeep Bhardwaj
World Photography of 50+ Countries & 200+Destinations across 6
Continents.

***Do not forget to "Connect" (Click Connect in Lower Toolbar) or "Sign-in to SDBWP"(Click on tab on top of each page) if you like my Photostories. Click on "Connect" bullet in the Toolbar below & connect with Facebook/Twitter /Yahoo/Myspace or click on "Sign-in to SDBWP with Google Friend Connect" on top of all pages and Sign-in to SDBWP using an account you've already created with Google/Twitter/Yahoo/AIM/Netlog/OpenID or with a new Google Account. If allready signed in do authorise to share your profile or e-mail address else your visit to this website will be just casual. Click on 'like' button to like with your facebook profile after sign-in to facebook ( No need to sign again if allready Signed-in to facebook google yahoo twitter myspace etc but authorise if pop up prompts you to share your e-mail and profile infomation).

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I do not allow downloading of my images and they are digitally watermarked with Digimarc (DMRC) which makes it easier for me to identify any unauthorised party using the across web or any media. Even if my work is downloaded in full or in part Digimarc is capable of tracing the use of images across web or any other media. Due to previous copyright infringement by parties not authorised in written by me, i have penalised parties using my images without my permisision. I stock my photos on my official website http://sundeepkullu.com and flickr (the world's best photography website for professionals amateurs and serious photographers as well as photo admirers) in web compatible resolutions only with no permissions to download or use my pictures in any kind of media without prior written permission from me. Thanks for your understanding. ***Do not forget to "Connect" (Click Connect in Lower Toolbar) or "Sign-in to SDBWP"(Click on tab on top of each page)if you like my Photostories.

Contact

This is my official website http://sundeepkullu.com & if you like to comment you can sign-in to flickr.com with your yahoo account & comment on my flickr Photostream where i stock my World Tour Pictures. To protect my work i load pictures only on flickr & this flash website & they are in web compatible resolutions only.Orignal pictures shot in 5,616 × 3,744 (21.1 megapixels) using Canon EOS 5D Mark II FULL FRAME DSLR CAMERA or 3872 x 2592 (10.2 million effective pixels) using NIKON D60 DSLR or 4,288 × 2,848 (12.3 effective megapixels) USING NIKON D90 DSLR's.

**Do not forget to "Connect" (Click Connect in Lower Toolbar) or "Sign-in to SDBWP"(Click on tab on top of each page of website) if you like my Photostories

http://Sundeepkullu.com SDBWP SunDeep Bhardwaj Photography Penetration on the World Map across 6 continents since Jan 2010

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